Wu Liang dragged his somewhat heavy legs out of the elevator. It seemed he had still underestimated the Wu family's power.
He hadn't been able to experience the feeling of controlling everything with one hand while playing the game, but now Wu Liang had truly witnessed it.
With money, you really could do whatever you wanted.
"To avoid being recognized by the bodyguards, I should disguise myself..."
Watching the black-clad bodyguards pacing around the lobby, Wu Liang suddenly felt a terrible headache coming on.
Why did a dignified young master of the Wu family have to act like a thief around his own bodyguards?
..
After searching for most of the day, Wu Liang finally found a KFC paper bag to put over his head and slipped past the bodyguards at the entrance.
There was a bench beneath a streetlamp in the courtyard. Seeing no one around, Wu Liang walked over, intending to rest for a while.
The evening breeze carried a slight chill, making Wu Liang, who wore only a hospital gown, feel rather cold.
"What terrible luck. Even if I came here, didn't I only have one year left?"
Wu Liang let out a heavy sigh.
He only had one year left in this world. If he wanted to survive quietly, he had to change.
Starting tomorrow, an entirely different new life would be waiting for him.
"Forget it... I should go back..."
Wu Liang touched the KFC paper bag on his head.
He had forgotten to mention this earlier—everyone, don't ever imitate him.
The fried chicken smell was far too strong. It was greasy and cloying; anyone with a sensitive nose could easily be knocked out by it.
"Why are you sitting here alone?"
Just as Wu Liang was about to remove the bag and return to the hospital,
he noticed a slender figure appear on the ground before him.
"You're a patient, aren't you? Why are you sitting outside at this hour? And why are you wearing such a strange thing?"
A pleasant, bell-like female voice rang out before Wu Liang once more.
The first thing that entered Wu Liang's view was a pair of exquisite little black leather boots.
As Wu Liang gradually raised his gaze, he saw long, dewy-white legs paired with a red ruffled skirt.
They were so beautiful they were almost dazzling, making Wu Liang glance at them a few more times.
Her off-white clothes made her already fair skin look even softer and paler.
When Wu Liang's gaze fell upon her pretty face, he froze.
Her clear, bright eyes seemed to reflect the stars. Her willow-shaped brows curved gently, and her long lashes trembled slightly.
"He... He Xue??"
A Pure Young Girl and Mr. KFC
"He... He Xue???"
Wu Liang spoke uncertainly, but the pure and captivating girl before him looked exactly like He Xue from the game.
But why was He Xue appearing alone in a place like this at this hour?
Wasn't she afraid of being followed by someone with ill intentions?
Or was public security in this game world exceptionally good, so there was no need to worry about such things?
"You know me?"
He Xue blinked in surprise. Her limpid eyes shimmered beautifully.
This man wearing a KFC bag over his head and radiating an air of sadness actually knew her?
He really was a strange person, but the sorrow he had shown earlier, as though the entire world had abandoned him, made her unable to help caring.
"Mm... I'm also a student at Brilliant Academy..."
Long live Colonel KFC.
Wu Liang muttered to himself and reached up to touch the KFC bag over his head. Fortunately, he had this thing on.
If He Xue found out that the man beneath the bag was that scoundrel young master everyone despised and hated yet could do nothing about, she probably would have ignored him long ago.
"I guessed as much, but why are you sitting here alone at this hour? You should be a patient, right? And also..."
He Xue bent down to look at the hospital gown he wore, then pointed at her own head in confusion, indicating the KFC bag on his.
"I merely came out to clear my head. Why are you wandering around a place like this by yourself instead?"
Wu Liang tugged the KFC bag farther down over his head, afraid that an evening gust might blow it straight off.
What would happen if he showed up before He Xue with his real face? Anyone could guess without thinking.
"I also merely came out to clear my head, Mr. KFC."
He Xue burst into laughter, her pink lips curving like a silver crescent moon.
Holding down her skirt and drawing her slender white legs together, He Xue plopped down beside Wu Liang.
"You sneaked out of that hospital, didn't you? My grandfather is hospitalized there too."
He Xue gently swung her legs as she spoke, her voice flowing as softly as water, neither hurried nor slow.
She had come out because the atmosphere in the hospital room was too oppressive, and she wanted to ease her mood.
Her grandfather's illness had dragged on for a long time. If it continued, his body would no longer be able to hold on.
"Your grandfather?"
Wu Liang turned to look at He Xue's delicate profile and saw a trace of loneliness in her star-reflecting eyes.
If he remembered correctly, He Xue's grandfather seemed to have died of some illness in the game.
He had been a very gentle elder who doted on He Xue greatly.
And precisely because of that, He Xue had suffered such a severe blow afterward.
"Mm. My grandfather has a very serious illness. Even though this is Yanghai City's best hospital, they're helpless against it."
He Xue lowered her head sadly. In truth, she knew her grandfather was already critically ill.
The doctors here had no way to cure him. At most, they could only alleviate some of his pain.
But she was already satisfied. She no longer asked for anything else; as long as her grandfather did not have to suffer anymore, that was enough.
"I see..."
Wu Liang stared at He Xue's profile. Her bloodless little face looked even paler beneath the moonlight.
Affected by the helplessness and sorrow surrounding He Xue, Wu Liang felt his chest tighten.
Wu Liang disliked this feeling of parting. In his original world, he had been the one who was abandoned.
That was why he disliked seeing scenes of life and death. Such lonely emotions could easily affect him.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to."
Suddenly realizing something, He Xue hurriedly slapped her cheeks twice.
Looking apologetically at Mr. KFC beside her, she pressed her palms together and apologized to him.
How could she let her own emotions affect someone else? What was she even doing?
"It's fine. You're worried about your grandfather, aren't you? Why not try praying? Sometimes, it can be quite useful."
Wu Liang calmly looked at He Xue, whose cheeks were somewhat flushed. This woman was really ruthless toward herself; those two slaps had been quite loud.
Still, as expected of one of the game's female leads—even in her flustered state, she was this cute.
"Praying?"
He Xue froze when she heard that. Could doing something like that really be useful?
People prayed to gods for blessings, and believers silently told gods their wishes, but wasn't that merely self-comfort?
"You can give it a try. Under certain circumstances, prayer can bring about miracles."
Wu Liang clasped his hands together before his chest, giving He Xue a simple demonstration.
Though it wasn't really appropriate for him, an outsider, to interfere in this matter, but...
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way~ ×2
Two strings of crisp ringing echoed around He Xue and Wu Liang.
After exchanging glances, both He Xue and Wu Liang were stunned. Their phones had rung at the exact same time.
"What a coincidence. I didn't expect our ringtones to both be so tasteless."
He Xue stood up and lightly dusted off the nonexistent dirt from her little skirt.
Coming out to clear her head today had indeed been the right choice. She had barely spoken with him, yet she already felt much more at ease.
Looking at the KFC paper bag on his head, He Xue suddenly found the big white chicken printed on it rather cute.
"Mm... quite a coincidence..."
Wu Liang slightly raised his hand. When he realized he was still wearing the paper bag over his head, he awkwardly changed the gesture and scratched the back of his head.
He had actually set this ringtone a few minutes ago because he had been bored. After all, it was pretty idiotic, wasn't it?
"Someone came to pick me up. I have to go back now. You shouldn't stay here either. It's cold at night, so be careful not to catch a cold."
"Goodbye, Mr. KFC."
He Xue skipped toward the roadside and waved at Wu Liang with a smiling face.
It was really wonderful that she had met him. This was the first time she had told her worries to someone she had never met before.
Prayer... Then she would give it a proper try after returning. It would be wonderful if it could truly bring about a miracle.
"..."
Wu Liang sat on the bench and waved at He Xue as she gradually disappeared into the distance.
After watching He Xue vanish around the other side of the street, Wu Liang forcefully stretched and stood up from the bench.
"Ah... I don't think she asked my name..."
Wu Liang muttered softly as he took out his phone from his pocket and looked at the caller ID.
Yao Shi had found out... He wouldn't be able to avoid another lecture from Yao Shi after going back...
"The doctors aren't skilled enough..."
Wu Liang rubbed his chin as he recalled what He Xue had said. The medical facilities here were definitely top-notch, but the top doctors were not currently in Yanghai City.
"I'll lend a hand, Mr. KFC."
Wu Liang slipped both hands into his pockets and smiled faintly.
An evening breeze swept past, and Wu Liang suddenly shivered.
Tch... Even on a summer night, it's still a little cold...
You Should Smile More
When Wu Liang returned to the eleventh floor, the previously empty and dim corridor was now brightly lit.
Countless burly men in black stood on both sides of the corridor, waiting like two rows of statues.
"Young Master."
Before you continue